Metro Briefs September 6

Randy Grossman, tight end for the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s, will be inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum during an induction ceremony, Sunday, April 21, 2013.

His induction class includes several notable athletes including one of the heroes of the just-completed London Olympics, gold medal gymnast Aly Raisman.

A Philadelphia native and Temple University graduate, Grossman played eight seasons for the Steelers, helping the team win four Super Bowl rings. His career statistics include 118 games, the same number of receptions for 1,514 yards and five touchdowns.

For his entire NFL career, this son of a butcher and reliable receiver fumbled the ball just once.

Steelers chairman emeritus Dan Rooney once described Grossman as “one of those guys who was never viewed as one of the superstars, but he did everything you asked him.”

In addition to Grossman and Raisman, the other athletes to be inducted next year are David Berger (weightlifting), Andrew Bernstein (sports photography), Steve Bilsky (basketball), Bruce Cohen (lacrosse), Marilyn Ramenofsky (swimming) and Garrett Weber Gale (swimming).

Located at the Suffolk, N.Y., Jewish Community Center, the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum honors Jewish sports figures who have distinguished themselves in the field of sports.

The Anti-Defamation League, in advance of the High Holy Days, is reaching out to congregations and Jewish communal institutions across the country to provide information on security preparedness and to remind them to have procedures in place that make security a priority.

The ADL has shared its security manual, “Protecting Your Jewish Institution: Security Strategies for Today’s Dangerous World,” which is regularly updated to provide new information and best practices for ensuring the security of religious and communal institutions.

Over the next two weeks, ADL will be conducting local security trainings across the country, as well as two High Holy Day security webinars for the National Association for Temple Administration (NATA), the national professional organization for executives, administrators and managers of more than 400 Reform synagogues.

In addition to ensuring that Jewish institutions are provided with the latest security and threat assessment information, ADL’s regional offices also work with local law enforcement partners to ensure they have the information needed to help protect the Jewish community during the High Holy Days and throughout the year.

Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha congregation school, Torah Lishmah Community, will begin the new school year with the “Magical Mystery Tour” for all school families. The event will take place Sunday, Sept. 9, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Henry Kaufmann Family Park in Monroeville. This back to school event will include learning and recreational activities, a mystery ride, balloon making and a barbecue. The community is invited to attend; there is a charge. Contact Shelly Schapiro at 412-521-6788 with questions or to make a reservation.

Jewish Family & Children’s Service has enhanced Brain Builders Coaching program for local senior citizens.

The program combines physically and mentally stimulating activities to enhance cognitive ability. Much like a fitness trainer would develop an individualized physical health plan, the Brain Builders Coaching program helps seniors maintain their brain health by establishing a plan of cognitively stimulating activities consisting of a mix of classes, activities and events at various locations throughout the community.

As part of the new enhancements to Brain Builders, the program allows for rolling admissions, so seniors can join at any time, and enables them to continue the program at their own pace and participate in new activities based on their own interests.

The Brain Builders Coaching program allows seniors 65 and older to meet with a JF&CS Brain Builders coach for an individualized assessment, where participants will receive a personalized brain fitness plan designed to increase mental stimulation and keep the brain active and healthy.

Results from past Brain Builders participants showed that 71 percent of participants gained improvement in mental status and 81 percent of participants reported improved functioning in one or more areas, including computer skills, creative and artistic skills, physical activity, wellness and more.

The enhancements were made possible with support from the Lawrence and Rebecca Stern Family Foundation through the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Center for Jewish Philanthropy,

Dan Nichols, a Jewish rock musician, will perform for Jewish teens, Sunday, Sept. 9, from noon to 2 p.m. at Chatham University in the Falk building.

The free program is open to all students in grades 8 to 12 and includes free kosher pizza lunch and is a prelude to the High Holy Days. Rodef Shalom Congregation, J-SITE, Diller Teen Fellows, Congregation Dor Hadash, Congregation B’nai Abraham, Temple Sinai, Temple Emanuel of South Hills and Adat Shalom are sponsoring the performance, which the Fine Foundation is also underwriting.

The Jewish Cemetery and Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh will hold its annual unveiling ceremony Sunday, Sept. 9, at 11 a.m. at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery in Shaler Township. Rabbi Paul Tuchman of Temple B’nai Israel in White Oak and chair of the Pittsburgh Association of Reform Rabbis will officiate.

Monuments will be unveiled for Donald Dworkes, Allan Kushner, Stanley Harris, Perla Turchinskya and Lee Nisenbaum.

Hillel Jewish University Center will again offer its Family Ties program to Jewish Pittsburgh college students this year.

Family Ties connects Jewish college students with Pittsburgh Jewish households to create a family experience for all participants.

This is the fourth year for the program.

Families may meet with their paired students once a month or once a semester. Activities can range from a Shabbat or High Holy Day meal, a sporting event, shopping or just hanging out on a Sunday afternoon.

Visit hilleljuc.org/familyties to register.

A kick-off party for the families and students will be held Tuesday, Sept. 11. Matches are made based on level of observance and career interests.

For students unable to commit to Family Ties, Hillel JUC will try to match students with families for the High Holy Days only. Families are still needed who can host students for Rosh Hashana lunch, Monday, Sept. 17. Contact David Katz at davidk@hilleljuc.org for more information.

Concordia of the South Hills will hold its first “Book Your Lunch” author luncheon Thursday, Sept. 20, at 10:30 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Bethel Park. The featured speaker is Meredith Mileti, author of the novel “Aftertaste.”

There is a charge. Contact Ina Silver, director of community life at Concordia, at 412-294-1306 for more information.

AARP Squirrel Hill Chapter 3354 will hold their business meeting Wednesday, Sept. 12, 1 p.m. at New Light Congregation, located at 1700 Beechwood Blvd. at Forbes Avenue. Following the meeting, Tito Braunstein, director of the Jewish Theater of Pittsburgh, will speak.

Contact Frieda Safyan at 412-521-2804 for more information.